Devices and methods for suture placement

ABSTRACT

A suturing device includes a curved needle, a suture, an elongate body, an actuator and a curved needle holder. The suture connects with the curved needle. The actuator interacts with the elongate body and is operable between a first operating position and a second operating position. The curved needle holder extends away from a distal end portion or is provided as part of the distal end portion of the elongate body. The curved needle holder includes a distal end section having a distal-most tip. The curved needle holder includes an inner surface defining a needle passage for holding the needle and a distal opening. The curved needle has a curved needle radius and the curved needle passage has a curved needle passage radius that is different than the curved needle radius and the curved needle frictionally engages the inner surface when the needle is in a retracted position.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 62/291,602 filed on Feb. 5, 2016, the entirety of which is expresslyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to surgery and the placement ofsutures, and more particularly, to devices and methods for the suturerepair of tissue, for example, tears of the dura mater that occur duringspinal surgery.

Tears of the dura mater (durotomy) are a relatively common occurrenceduring spinal surgery. Incidences of durotomy can vary by procedure andcan be an additional challenge during surgical repairs such as, forexample, lumbar surgeries or the like. Moreover, it is desirable to forma substantially watertight closure of the dura mater to inhibit orpreclude, for example, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks that canotherwise lead to patient complications.

Surgical closure techniques using sutures is one approach to duralrepair. In some instances, however, these techniques can be difficult toexecute due to anatomic constraints, obstruction of visualization by CSFor blood, and the proximity to nerve rootlets. In some instances, thesechallenges can be further complicated when using minimally invasivetechniques such as, for example, a tubular retractor. In some suchinstances, surgeons may choose not repair the durotomy or they mayattempt to repair the durotomy using traditional suturing tools. Suchtools and devices can be limited and, in some instances, lackmaneuverability to avoid obstructions and/or to enable adequate passageof the needle and suture through the tissue. As a result, surgicalrepairs of the dura mater are often time consuming and expensive.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing, a suturing device includes a curved needle, asuture, an elongate body, an actuator and a curved needle holder. Thecurved needle includes first end, which is pointed, and a second end.The suture connects with the curved needle. The elongate body includes aproximal end portion and a distal end portion. The actuator interactswith the elongate body and is operable between a first operatingposition and a second operating position. The curved needle holderextends away from the distal end portion or is provided as part of thedistal end portion of the elongate body. The curved needle holderincludes a distal end section having a distal-most tip. The curvedneedle holder includes an inner surface defining a curved needle passagefor holding the needle and a distal opening. The curved needle has acurved needle radius and the curved needle passage has a curved needlepassage radius that is different than the curved needle radius and thecurved needle frictionally engages the inner surface when the needle isin a retracted position.

In view of the foregoing, a method of assembling a suturing deviceincludes inserting a curved needle having a suture attached theretothrough a distal opening into a curved needle passage of a curved needleholder connected with or configured to be connected with an elongatebody of a suturing device. The method further includes frictionallyengaging an inner surface of the curved needle holder with the curvedneedle to retain a pointed end of the curved needle offset inwardly fromthe distal opening or offset below a distal-most tip of the suturingdevice.

Another example of a suturing device includes a needle, a suture, anelongate body, an actuator and a curved needle holder. The needleincludes first end, which is pointed, and a second end. The sutureconnects with the needle. The elongate body includes a proximal endportion and a distal end portion. The actuator interacts with theelongate body and is operable between a first operating position and asecond operating position. The curved needle holder extends away fromthe distal end portion or is provided as part of the distal end portionof the elongate body. The curved needle holder includes a distal endsection having a distal-most tip. The curved needle holder includes aninner surface defining a curved needle passage for holding the needleand a distal opening. The needle frictionally engages the inner surfacewhen the needle is in a retracted position and the actuator is in thefirst operating position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a suturing device.

FIG. 2 is a cross—sectional view of a lower portion of the suturingdevice of FIG. 1 and a schematic depiction of a tissue tear.

FIG. 3 is another cross—sectional view of the lower portion of thesuturing device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of thecircled portion in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a suturing kit including two suturingdevices, a suture holding structure and a knot pusher.

FIGS. 5-7 are perspective views of variations of a lower portion of anactuator of the suturing device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cross—sectional view of an upper portion of the suturingdevice of FIG. 1, and FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of the circled portionin FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the suturing device of FIG. 1 next to a tubularretractor shown in cross section.

FIG. 10 is another cross—sectional view of the lower portion of thesuturing device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the suturingdevice of FIG. 1 showing a needle holder disconnected from an elongatebody of the suturing device.

FIG. 12 is a schematic cross—sectional view of the lower portion of avariation of the needle holder of the suturing device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a cross—sectional view of the lower portion of anothervariation of the needle holder of the suturing device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a lower portion of the suturing deviceshowing the variation of FIG. 13, and FIG. 14A is an enlarged view ofthe circled portion in FIG. 14.

FIG. 15 is a side view showing a variation of the elongate body and avariation of the needle holder of the suturing device.

FIG. 16 is a cross—sectional view of the lower portion of the variationof the needle holder shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is an alternative embodiment of a suturing device, and FIG. 17Ais an enlarged view of the circled portion in FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts an example of a suturing device 10 that is useful tosuture tears in dura mater, which may occur during spinal surgeryprocedures; however, the suturing device 10 can be used in other typesof surgical procedures. The suturing device 10 generally includes anactuator 12, an elongate body 14, and a needle holder 16. The suturingdevice 10 is particularly useful during a minimally invasive surgicalprocedure that is performed through a tubular retractor or other smallsurgical portal to accurately locate a needle 20 and a suture 22, whichare shown in FIG. 2, with respect to target tissue 24 to be sutured. Thetarget tissue 24 shown in FIG. 2 is part of a dural sac having a tear.Again, the suturing device 10 may be useful in other surgicalprocedures.

With reference to FIG. 2, the needle 20 in the illustrated embodiment isa curved needle having a first end 30, which is pointed, and a secondend 32, which is opposite to the first end 30. The needle 20 can besimilar to commercially available curved needles made from knownmaterials. The needle 20 can be formed having a curved needle radius 34.The needle 20 could also be formed from a malleable, or flexible,material such that the needle 20 could follow a curve when positionedwithin the needle holder 16, which is curved in FIG. 2, and then laterstraighten after exiting the needle holder 16. The needle 20 can takeother configurations, such as straight. Also, the needle 20 could beformed as part of the suture 22, e.g., the needle 20 could be a rigidend of the suture 22 that is configured so as to be suitable to passthrough animal tissue. Actuation of the actuator 12 moves the needle 20in an advance direction 36 (FIG. 3) with respect to the needle holder16. The needle 20 moves from a retracted position, which is shown inFIG. 3, to a released condition, which is shown in FIG. 2, in which theneedle 20 is released from the needle holder 16. When in the releasedcondition, the surgeon can grasp the needle 20, for example withforceps, and pull the needle 20 and the suture 22.

With reference back to FIG. 2, the suture 22 connects with the needle 20and extends from the second end 32 of the needle 20. The suture 22 canbe swaged to the second end 32 of the needle 20. The suture 22 can alsoconnect with the needle 20 in other conventional manners. The suture 22can be acquired from known suture manufacturers. The average diameter ofthe suture 22 can be very close to the outer diameter of the second end32 of the needle 20, for example, the average diameter of the suture 22can be between 90% and 110% of the outer diameter of the second end 32of the needle 20.

The actuator 12 is operable between a first operating position and asecond operating position. As seen when comparing FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, theactuator 12 in the illustrated embodiment is moveable between a firstoperating position, which is shown in FIG. 1, and a second operatingposition, which is shown in FIG. 4. Movement of the actuator 12 from thefirst operating position toward the second operating position moves theneedle 20 in the advance direction 36 (FIG. 3) with respect to theneedle holder 16 thus moving the needle 20 toward the releasedcondition, which is shown in FIG. 2, in which the needle 20 is releasedfrom the needle holder 16.

With reference back to FIG. 1, in the illustrated embodiment theactuator 12 includes a button 50, a tube 52, which could also be a rod,and a wire 54 (FIG. 2). In the illustrated embodiment, the button 50connects with the tube 52, which is connected with the wire 54.Alternatively, the button 50 could connect with the wire 54 without thetube 52. Also, the button 50 could connect with a rod having no elongatepassage, and the rod can connect with the wire 54. In the illustratedembodiment, the actuator 12 includes a flexible section, which in theillustrated embodiment is made up of the wire 54, which can be made fromnitinol. The flexible section is configured to bend within the needleholder 16 when the actuator 12 is moved from the first operatingposition toward the second operating position.

The tube 52 (or rod) is received within the elongate body 14 and moveswith respect to the elongate body 14 when the actuator 12 moves betweenthe first operating position and the second operating position. In theillustrated embodiment, the tube 52 moves along a longitudinal axis 56(FIG. 2). The longitudinal axis 56 in the illustrated embodiment is astraight line; however, the longitudinal axis could be a curved line,for example if the elongate body 14 is curved. The tube 52 includes anelongate passage 58, which receives the wire 54 in the illustratedembodiment. Alternatively, the wire 54 could extend from a distal end ofa rod, which would connect with the button 50, in lieu of providing thetube 52. The tube 52 is made from a rigid material, such as a rigidplastic or metal, and is more rigid than the wire 54.

With reference back to FIG. 1, the button 50 includes an operatorcontact surface 60 that is configured to be depressed by a surgeon'sfinger or thumb to move the actuator 12 from the first operatingposition toward the second operating position. The button 50 alsoincludes a handle contact surface 62 spaced from the operator contactsurface 60 along the longitudinal axis 56. The button 50 also includesan outer surface 64, which follows a surface of revolution about thelongitudinal axis 56 and spans between the operator contact surface 60and the handle contact surface 62, which allows for the surgeon toeasily manipulate the suturing device 10 and rotate the suturing device10 about the longitudinal axis 56. The button 50 connects with the tube52 (or the rod) and the wire 54 such that movement of the button 50along the longitudinal axis 56 results in movement of the tube 52 (orrod) and the wire 54 along the longitudinal axis 56.

With reference to FIG. 2, a distal end 70 of the actuator 12, which inthe illustrated embodiment is located at a distal end of the wire 54,contacts the second end 32 of the needle 20 as the actuator 12 is movedfrom the first operating position (shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) toward thesecond operating position (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4) to move the needle 20in the advance direction 36. With reference to FIG. 5, which shows alower portion of the actuator 12, the actuator 12 could include a distaltube 72, which could be made from plastic, at a distal portion. Asillustrated, the distal tube 72 connects with the wire 54. An outerdiameter of the distal tube 72 could be nearly equal to an innerdiameter of the elongate body 14 and/or the needle holder 16, whilebeing small enough so that the distal tube 72 is freely moveable withinthe elongate body 14 and the needle holder 16. An alternativearrangement is shown in FIG. 6, which also shows a distal portion of theactuator 12 where the actuator 12 includes a spherical distal tip 74. Asillustrated, the spherical distal tip 74 can be provided on the wire 54.The outer diameter of the spherical distal tip 74 can be nearly equal tothe inner diameter of the elongate body 14 and/or the needle holder 16.FIG. 7 also depicts a distal portion of the actuator 12 where theactuator 12 includes a pocket 76 at a distal end. The pocket 76 isconfigured to receive the second end 32 of the needle 20. The pocket 76can also be configured to receive the suture 22. The pocket 76 could beformed from a resilient material that clamps onto the second end 32 ofthe needle 20 while the needle 20 is being advanced through the needleholder 16 in the advance direction 36.

Other types of actuators can be employed to move the needle 20 in theadvance direction 36. For example, air pressure through a pneumaticmechanism could be used to move the needle 20 from the retractedposition shown in FIG. 3 to the released condition shown in FIG. 2.Other types of mechanical actuators could also be used to move theneedle 20. For example, rollers that contact the needle 20 could bedriven by a motor to move the needle 20 from the retracted positiontoward the released condition. Moreover, the needle 20 can be deployedusing a robot where the suturing device 10 connects with an end effectorof a robot, and the actuator and the suturing device 10 can beconfigured to connect with the end effector. As such, the actuator 12including the button 50, the tube 52 and the wire 54 is not the onlyactuator contemplated to move the needle 20 from the retracted positiontoward the released condition.

With reference back to FIG. 1, the suturing device 10 also includes ahandle 90 connected with the elongate body 14. The handle 90 connectswith a proximal end portion 92 of the elongate body 14 and is fixed tothe elongate body 14 such that movement of the handle 90, e.g.,rotational or translational movement, results in the same movement ofthe elongate body 14.

With reference to FIGS. 8 and 8A, the handle 90 includes an elongatebore 94 in which the proximal end portion 92 of the elongate body 14 isreceived. The elongate bore 94 extends from a proximal end surface 96 toa distal end surface 98 and is aligned with the longitudinal axis 56.The handle 90 also defines an outer side surface 102 extending betweenthe proximal end surface 96 and the distal end surface 98. The outerside surface 102 follows a surface of revolution about the longitudinalaxis 56. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer side surface 102 is ahyperboloid. An outer diameter of the handle 90 adjacent both theproximal end surface 96 and the distal end surface 98 is less than anouter diameter of the handle 90 equidistant between the proximal endsurface 96 and the distal end surface 98. This provides a recessedcontour that allows the surgeon to easily grip the handle 90 to maneuverthe suturing device 10.

The maximum outer diameter of the handle 90, which can also be referredto as a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 56 sincethe handle need not be circular in a cross section normal to thelongitudinal axis, can be 10-20 mm. In the illustrated embodiment, thehandle 90 has a width W measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axisof less than 12 mm. FIG. 9 depicts a tubular retractor TR in crosssection next to the suturing device 10 having a length TRL and aninternal diameter TRD. Common tubular retractors used during minimallyinvasive spinal surgery procedures have inner diameters (e.g., depictedas the internal diameter TRD in FIG. 9) measuring between 14 mm to 22mm. The maximum width of the handle 90 is not too large, which couldimpede the line of sight for the surgeon during a surgical procedure,especially when the surgeon is working through a tubular retractor oranother small surgical portal other than a tubular retractor. As seen inFIG. 9, the button 50 also has a maximum width equal to the maximumwidth of the handle 90. It is also desirable to limit the maximum widthof the button 50 so as not to impede the line of sight for the surgeonduring a surgical procedure. As such, the maximum width of the button 50measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 56 can be between 90%and 110% of the maximum width of the handle 90.

The handle 90 can be other shapes. For example, the handle could be inthe form of a pistol grip, if desired.

With reference back to the illustrated embodiment and with reference toFIG. 9, the button 50 is offset from the handle 90 when the actuator 12is in the first operating position. More particularly, the handlecontact surface 62 of the button 50 is offset from the proximal endsurface 96 of the handle 90 a distance d as measured parallel to thelongitudinal axis 56. The distance d can be configured such that thedistal end 70 of the actuator 12 remains inside the needle holder 16when the actuator 12 is in the second operating position, which can bewhen the handle contact surface 62 of the button 50 contacts theproximal end surface 96 of the handle 90. If desired, the distance d canbe configured such that the distal end 70 of the actuator 12 extendsfrom the needle holder 16 when the actuator 12 is in the secondoperating position.

With reference back to FIG. 1, the elongate body 14 in the illustratedembodiment is in the form of a cannula. With reference to FIG. 2, theelongate body 14 has an outer surface 118, which is smooth, and definesa track 120 that receives a portion of the actuator 12. In theillustrated embodiment, the elongate body 14 is a cannula and the track120 is a lumen that receives the tube 52 and the wire 54 of the actuator12. The elongate body 14 can take other configurations, for example thetrack need not encircle the tube 52 and the wire 54, but could beU-shaped. In the illustrated embodiment, the elongate body 14 iscircular in a cross section taken normal to the longitudinal axis 56,however, the elongate body 14 could take alternative configurations,such as polygonal or U—shaped in a cross section taken normal to thelongitudinal axis 56. The elongate body 14 includes the proximal endportion 92 and a distal end portion 122. In the illustrated embodiment,the needle holder 16 is received in and connected with the elongate body14 and extends away from the distal end portion 122. Alternatively, theneedle holder 16 can be provided as part of the distal end portion 122of the elongate body 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the elongatebody 14 is made from metal and extends along the longitudinal axis 56.The elongate body 14 in the illustrated embodiment is made from a rigidmaterial; however, if desired at least a portion of the elongate body 14may be made from a malleable or flexible material to allow the surgeonto bend at least a portion of the elongate body 14 into a desirableconfiguration for insertion into an animal body during a surgicalprocedure. In the illustrated embodiment, an outer diameter of theelongate body 14 is constant between the proximal end portion 92 and thedistal end portion 122. The outer diameter can be less than 3.5 mm,which provides a very slim device to enhance the line of sight for asurgeon during the surgical procedure.

The needle holder 16 extends away from the distal end portion 122 or isprovided as part of the distal end portion 122 of the elongate body 14.With reference to FIG. 10, the needle holder 16 is a hollow tubularmember. In the illustrated embodiment, a proximal end section 130 of theneedle holder 16 that is aligned with the longitudinal axis 56 isreceived inside the elongate body 14; however, the needle holder 16could be formed as part of the elongate body, e.g., both the elongatebody 14 and the needle holder 16 could be made from one tubular stockmaterial. In an alternative arrangement, the elongate body 14 and theneedle holder 16 can be formed from elongate generally U-shaped in crosssection material that are connected in a clam-shell type configuration.The needle holder 16 depicted in the illustrated embodiment is a curvedneedle holder that generally follows a constant radius such that thesuturing device 10 can have J-hook configuration at a distal endthereof.

In the illustrated embodiment, the needle holder 16 is not intended tobe removable from the elongate body 14; however, in an alternativearrangement the needle holder 16 can selectively connect with theelongate body 14 via a mechanical connection such as a friction fit or abayonet connection. FIG. 11 shows the needle holder 16 separated fromthe elongate body 14. In such an embodiment, the needle holder 16 isreleasably connected with the distal end portion 122 of the elongatebody 14. For example, a protuberance 132 can be provided on the proximalend section 130 of the needle holder 16. The protuberance 132 fits intoa recess 134 provided in the distal end portion 122 of the elongate body14. A plurality of protuberances 132 and recesses 134 can be provided toreleasably connect the needle holder 16 with the elongate body 14.

With reference back to FIG. 9, a distance L1, which is measured parallelwith the longitudinal axis 56, from the distal end surface 98 of thehandle 90 to a location 138 where the curved needle holder 16 begins tocurve away from the longitudinal axis 56 is between 10 cm and 20 cm.Stated another way, the distance L1 measured parallel with thelongitudinal axis 56 between where the curved needle holder 16 begins tocurve away from the longitudinal axis 56 to where the elongate body 14connects with the handle 90 is between about 10 cm to about 20 cm. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the distance L1 is about 13 cm. Commontubular retractors used during minimally invasive spine surgery have alength (e.g., depicted as the length TRL in FIG. 9) between 3 cm and 9cm. The distance L1 allows the surgeon to insert the elongate body 14and the needle holder 16 into the tubular retractor so that the needleholder 16 can contact the target tissue without the handle 90 contactingthe tubular retractor while being close enough to the target tissue toallow the surgeon to manipulate the needle holder 16 without thesuturing device being unwieldy. If the distance L1 is too long,manipulation of the needle holder 16 becomes more challenging.

With reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the needle holder 16 includes adistal end section 140 having a distal-most tip 142. The needle holder16 defines a needle passage 144 that is in communication with the track120 and a distal opening 146. The distal opening 146 is offset from thelongitudinal axis 56 in a forward direction. With reference to FIG. 10,the distal-most tip 142 is offset from the longitudinal axis 56 in adirection perpendicular from the longitudinal axis a distance L2 of lessthan 7 mm. As mentioned above, common tubular retractors used duringminimally invasive spinal surgery procedures have diameters measuringbetween 14 mm to 22 mm. By spacing the distal-most tip 142 offset fromthe longitudinal axis 56 in a direction perpendicular from thelongitudinal axis less than 7 mm, the surgeon can locate the elongatebody 14 along the central axis CA of the tubular retractor and rotatethe suturing device 10 around the central axis CA without contacting theside of the tubular retractor. The needle holder 16 could also be madefrom a malleable or flexible material to allow the surgeon to bend atleast a portion of the needle holder 16 into a desirable configuration,e.g., around the distal-most tip 142 to help place the distal-most tipin the tissue tear.

In the illustrated embodiment, the distal end section 140 of the needleholder 16 is configured to allow the second end 32 of the needle 20 torelease from the needle holder 16 at a location offset from thedistal-most tip 142 in a direction opposite to the advance direction 36.The distal end section 140 of the needle holder 16 includes an offsetedge 150 forming a part of a boundary of the distal opening 146 adjacentthe location where the second end 32 of the needle 20 is released fromthe needle holder 16. With reference back to FIG. 2, as the needle 20advances in the advance direction 36, the first end 30 of the needle 20can pass through the target tissue 24 from an internal side 26 of thetarget tissue 24 toward an outer side 28 of the target tissue 24. Thesecond end 32 of the needle 20, however, need not travel past thedistal-most tip 142 of the needle holder 16 before being released fromthe needle holder 16. Such a configuration of the distal opening 146facilitates loading of the needle 20 and the suture 22 into the needlepassage 144, which occurs by inserting the second end 32 of the needle20 into the distal opening 146 and moving the needle 20 with respect tothe needle holder 16 in a direction opposite to the advance direction36. The configuration of the distal opening 146 also mitigates thelikelihood that the first end 30 of the needle 20 may pass through thesuture 22 when being passed through the target tissue 24.

As more clearly seen in FIG. 11, the distal opening 146 is non-circular.With reference to FIG. 10, a line 152 intersects the offset edge 150 andthe distal-most tip 142. The line 152 is offset from 90° with respect toa line drawn tangent to a point on the advance direction 36 where theadvance direction intersects the line 152. As such, the distal opening146 can be considered to be beveled. Even with the non-circular distalopening 146, when the needle 20 is in the retracted position (shown inFIG. 3), the first end 30 of the needle 20 is recessed inwardly(downwardly in FIG. 3) from the distal-most tip 142 within the needlepassage 144. The distal-most tip 142 can also be rounded (see FIG. 11),which allows for the surgeon to grab or “hook” the target tissue 24 onthe internal side 26 thereof and indent the target tissue 24 with thedistal-most tip 142 while not catching the target tissue 24 with thefirst (pointed) end 30 of the needle 20. Also, a rounded ball could beprovided at the distal-most tip 142. This allows the suturing device 10to be used similar to a nerve hook, which is used in known surgicalprocedures.

The distal end section 140 of the needle holder 16 can be configured inother configurations to allow the second end 32 of the needle 20 torelease from the needle holder 16 at a location offset from thedistal-most tip 142. For example, a notch, which is depicted in FIG. 17,can be provided near the distal-most tip 142. The configuration of thedistal end section 140 not only facilitates deployment of the needle 20from the suturing device 10, but it also facilitates loading the needle20 and the suture 22 into the suturing device 10.

With reference to FIG. 10, the needle passage 144 in the illustratedembodiment is curved and follows a curved needle passage radius 160,which is measured along a midline of the needle passage 144. The curvedneedle radius 34 for the curved needle 20 depicted in FIG. 2, and thecurved needle passage radius 160 are similar, but need not be identical.By not matching the curved needle radius 34 to the curved needle passageradius 160, the needle 20 may contact an inner surface 162 of the needleholder 16 along a portion of its travel path in the needle holder 16 asthe needle 20 moves from the retracted position toward the releasedcondition. The needle 20 may contact the inner surface 162 of the needleholder 16 along a majority of its travel path in the needle holder 16 asthe needle 20 moves from the retracted position toward the releasedcondition. By not having the curved needle radius 34 match the curvedneedle passage radius 160, friction between the needle 20 and the innersurface 162 of the needle holder 16 helps retain the needle 20 in theneedle holder 16, for example during transport. When the needle 20 is inthe retracted position, the needle 20 can be in contact with the innersurface 162 of the needle holder 16 in at least three differentlocations along the length, or arc length, of the needle 20, e.g., afirst location 164, a second location 166 and a third location 168,which are depicted in FIG. 16. The first location 164 is located beneathand adjacent to the distal-most tip 142. The second location 166 islocated near the middle of the arc length of the needle 20. The thirdlocation 168 is located adjacent the location 138 where the curvedneedle holder 16 begins to curve away from the longitudinal axis 56.Also, the needle 20 can have a maximum outer diameter that is at least40% of the inner diameter of the needle passage 144, which canfacilitate retaining the needle 20 within the needle passage 144. Also,the needle 20 can have an outer diameter that is not greater than 90% ofthe inner diameter of the needle passage 144, which can allow the needlepassage 144 to accommodate both the needle 20 and the suture 22.

The inner surface 162 of the needle holder 16 may be electro-polished tofacilitate advancement of the needle 20 from the retracted positiontoward the released condition. Furthermore, a gel or other lubricant canbe provided in the needle passage 144. The gel or lubricant can helpretain the needle 20 in the needle passage 144 of the needle holder 16and also decrease friction between the needle 20 and the inner surface162 during deployment of the needle 20 from the suturing device 10. Withreference to FIG. 16, a needle retainer 172 can be provided to retainthe needle 20 in the needle passage 144 after manufacturing and beforeuse, e.g., during shipment. The needle retainer 172 can be made fromfoam or a similar resilient material and covers the distal opening 146.It can be desirable to make the needle retainer 172 from an open cellfoam to aid in the sterilization process. The needle retainer 172 can beinserted into the distal opening 146, or the needle retainer 172 caninclude a receptacle (shown in phantom in FIG. 16) and fit over theneedle holder 16 to cover the distal opening 146. Where the suturingdevice 10 is packed with a backer card that retains the suturing device10, the needle retainer 172 can be attached directly to or integratedinto the backer card.

In an alternative arrangement, the wire 54 of the actuator 12 can alsobe pre-biased along a curve similar in radius to the curved needlepassage radius 160 to facilitate deployment of the needle 20. Asmentioned above, the pocket 76 (FIG. 7) or a similar device could beformed from a resilient material that clamps onto the second end 32 ofthe needle 20 while the needle 20 is being advanced through the needleholder 16 in the advance direction 36. For example, the pocket 76 (orsimilar device) can have an outer diameter such that the inner surface162 applies a force to the pocket 76 so that the pocket 76 frictionallyengages the second end 32 of the needle 20 until the needle 20 is in thereleased condition, i.e., fully released from the needle holder 16. Assuch, the pocket 76 (or similar device) at the distal end 70 of theactuator 12 selectively connects with and disconnects from the needle20, which allows the surgeon to retract the needle 20 back into theneedle holder 16 after the needle 20 has been moved in the advancedirection 36 but prior to the needle 20 obtaining the releasedcondition.

In the illustrated embodiment, the needle holder 16 defines the distalextent of the suturing device 10. An outer diameter 174, which need notbe circular, of the needle holder 16 is about equal to or less than anouter diameter 176 of the distal end portion 122 of the elongate body14. Also, the outer diameter 174 of the needle holder 16 is constant, ornearly constant, from the distal-most tip 142 to where the needle holder16 transitions to the elongate body 14. The distal extent of thesuturing device 10 is at a point 178 along the needle holder 16, whichis curved in the illustrated embodiment, where a tangent line at thatpoint 178 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 56. By providing aneedle holder 16 having a constant or nearly constant outer diameter 174with the distal extent of the suturing device 10 being at the point 178on the outer surface 180 of the needle holder 16 where a tangent line isperpendicular to the longitudinal axis 56, a very slim suturing device10 is provided that can reach just underneath the internal side 26 ofthe target tissue 24 (see FIG. 2) while avoiding nerves, which can befound in the dural sac.

The outer surface 180 of the needle holder 16 extends along a radius,which is equal in magnitude to the curved needle passage radius 160, andfollows an arc length less than 180 degrees, and in the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 10 about 40 degrees less than 180 degrees (i.e.,less than about 140 degrees), as measured from the location 138 wherethe curved needle holder 16 begins to curve away from the longitudinalaxis 56 to the distal-most tip 142 of the needle holder 16. The needleholder 16 can extend along the radius an arc length greater than 90degrees and less than 180 degrees, for example see also FIG. 16. Thisconfiguration also allows the suturing device 10 to operate similar to anerve hook that is used in surgical procedures. The arc length of theneedle holder 16 can be at least as long as the arc length of the needle20. For example, the arc length of the needle holder 16 can be between5-25% longer than the arc length of the needle 20, and in the depictedembodiments the arc length of the needle holder 16 is about 15% longerthan the arc length of the needle 20. In another alternativearrangement, the needle holder 16 can extend along the radius an arclength greater than 20 degrees and less than 190 degrees.

As mentioned above, the distal opening 146 is offset from thelongitudinal axis 56, which is the axis along which a majority of theactuator 12 travels in the illustrated embodiment when moving from thefirst operating position toward the second operating position. Theillustrated suturing device 10 is a sleek device, which makes it usefulto repairing dural sac tears. By way of example, consider a first planein which both the longitudinal axis 56 and the curved needle passageradius 160 reside. This first plane is the plane in which the crosssection was taken in FIG. 2. Consider a second plane, which isperpendicular to the first plane, parallel to the longitudinal axis 56and intersects a line along the outer surface 118 of the elongate body14 furthest from the distal-most tip 142. This second plane would beperpendicular to the page on which FIG. 2 is printed and would be offsetto the right of the longitudinal axis 56 while intersecting a line alongthe outer surface 118 of the elongate body 14. In the illustratedembodiment, the working components of the suturing device 10 at thedistal portion thereof are all forward (to the left in FIG. 2) of thissecond plane. For example, the distal end portion 122 of the elongatebody 14 does not bend rearward (to the right in FIG. 2) of the secondplane. Such a configuration is useful when the distal end portion 122 isbeing inserted through a tubular retractor, which is used in minimallyinvasive spine surgeries.

FIG. 3 depicts at least a portion of the suture 22 extending through thedistal opening 146 when the needle 20 is received in the needle passage144 and the actuator 12 is in the first operating position, which isshown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Allowing the suture 22 to extend through thedistal opening 146 can be useful when the elongate body 14 or the needleholder 16 has a closed cross section with respect to the longitudinalaxis 56. When the elongate body 14 or the needle holder 16 has an opencross section, e.g., U-shaped, however, the suture 22 may not extendthrough the distal opening 146; instead, the suture 22 can extend intoand along the elongate body 14. With reference back to the illustratedembodiment, at least a portion of the suture 22 extends along the needlepassage 144 from the second end 32 of the needle 20 toward the distalopening 146 between the needle 20 and the inner surface 162 of theneedle holder 16 when the needle 20 is received in the needle passage144 and the actuator 12 is in the first operating position.

With reference to FIG. 4, by having the suture 22 extend from the distalopening 146 of the needle holder 16, a double-armed suture can be usedwith the suturing device 10. For example, FIG. 4 shows the suture 22being a double-armed suture having the needle 20, which will also bereferred to as the first needle, at a first end of the suture 22 and asecond needle 20 a at a second, opposite, end of the suture 22. Thefirst needle 20 is loaded into the suturing device 10, which willhereinafter be referred to as the first suturing device, and the secondneedle 20 a is loaded into an identical suturing device 10 a, which willbe referred to as the second suturing device 10 a and can include asecond needle holder 16 a.

FIG. 12 shows a variation from the needle holder 16 described above, inwhich a needle holder 216 includes a keyway 220. Other than the additionof the keyway 220, the needle holder 216 can be identical to the needleholder 16. As such, where the needle holder 216 is identical or verysimilar to the needle holder 16, the same reference numbers will beused. The keyway 220 is offset from the needle passage 144. At least aportion of the suture 22 (see FIG. 3) can extend along the keyway 220from the second end 32 of the needle 20 toward the distal opening 146between the needle 20 and the inner surface 162 of the needle holder 16when the needle 20 is received in the needle passage 144 and theactuator 12 is in the first operating position. The keyway 220 canprovide a space for the suture 22 and can be appropriately shaped sothat the needle 20 would not fit into the keyway 220, but instead wouldbe maintained within the needle passage 144, which is located above thekeyway 220 as illustrated in FIG. 12.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show another a variation from the needle holder 16described above, in which a needle holder 226 includes a knot pusher228. Other than the addition of the knot pusher 228, the needle holder226 can be identical to the needle holder 16. As such, where the needleholder 226 is identical or very similar to the needle holder 16, thesame reference numbers will be used. In the variation shown in FIGS. 13and 14, the suturing device 10 includes the knot pusher 228 connectedwith and extending away from at least one of the elongate body 14 andthe needle holder 226. In the illustrated embodiment, the knot pusher228 is formed as part of the needle holder 226. With reference to FIG.14, the needle holder 226 can be releasably connected with the distalend portion 122 of the elongate body 14. Also, the knot pusher 228 couldalso be made as a separate component that is releasably connected withat least one of the elongate body 14 and the needle holder 226.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, the knot pusher 228includes a lower concave surface 232. The lower concave surface 232 isconfigured to be pressed down against a knot tied in the suture 22 toslide the knot toward the tissue that is being sewed by the surgeon. Thelower concave surface 232 includes an inflection 234 offset from thelongitudinal axis 56 of the elongate body 14 in the same direction thatthe distal-most tip 142 is offset from the longitudinal axis 56.

The knot pusher 228 is generally triangular in shape when viewed fromthe side as shown in FIG. 13. More particular to the illustratedembodiment, the knot pusher 228 extends from the outer surface 180 ofthe needle holder 226, and the outer surface 180 is curved. The knotpusher 228 also includes an external side surface 238. The external sidesurface 238 extends along a plane parallel to and offset from thelongitudinal axis 56 of the elongate body 14 between the location 138where the needle holder 226 begins to curve away from the longitudinalaxis 56 to a corner 240, which can be rounded. The maximum distance,which is measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 56 of theelongate body 14, between the external side surface 238 and thedistal-most tip 142 is less than 10 mm, which allows the suturing device10 to fit nicely in the common tubular retractors described above. Asdiscussed above, consider the first plane in which both the longitudinalaxis 56 and the curved needle passage radius 160 (see FIG. 10) reside.This first plane is the plane in which the cross section was taken inFIG. 13. Consider a second plane, which is perpendicular to the firstplane, parallel to the longitudinal axis 56 and intersects a line alongthe outer surface 118 of the elongate body 14 furthest from thedistal-most tip 142. This second plane would be perpendicular to thepage on which FIG. 13 is printed and would be offset to the right of thelongitudinal axis 56 while intersecting a line along the outer surface118 of the elongate body 14. In the illustrated embodiment, no portionof the knot pusher 18 extends in a direction away from the distal-mosttip 142 beyond the second plane. This is beneficial in that when thesurgeon is working on one side or a tissue tear (e.g., the left side inFIG. 2), the knot pusher 228 is unlikely to catch on the opposite (theright side in FIG. 2) side of the tissue tear.

With reference to FIG. 14, a recess 242, which can be somewhat similarin configuration to a claw hammer, could be provided in the knot pusher228 at the corner 240. Similar to the lower concave surface 232, therecess 242 could be configured to be pressed down against a knot tied inthe suture 22 to slide the knot toward the tissue that is being sewed bythe surgeon.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show a variation of a suturing device 310 from thesuturing device 10 described above. In this variation, an actuator 312differs from the actuator 12 by being configured to connect with or beprovided as part of an end effector of a robot, an elongate body 314differs from the elongate body 14 by having a bayonet configuration anda needle holder 316 differs from the needle holder 16 by having smallerarc length.

The actuator 312 can include the tube 52 (or rod) and the wire 54 asdescribed above, however, the actuator 312 need not include the button50 described above. The tube 52 (or rod) and the wire 54 moves withrespect to the elongate body 14 in the same manner as described above,however, instead of moving the button 50 to move the tube 52 (or rod)and the wire 54, a robot (not shown) can attach with the actuator 312such that the suturing device 310 operates as an end effector for therobot. The actuator 312 includes an actuator body 308 that can attach toa robot wrist (for example) and the robot can be programmed to operatewith the suturing device 310 to suture the target tissue. When theactuator body 308 is attached to the robot, the robot can move the tube52 (or rod) and the wire 54 with respect to the elongate body 14 in thesame manner as described above.

With reference to FIG. 15, the elongate body 314 in the illustratedembodiment is in the form of a cannula, which is similar to the elongatebody 14. The elongate body 314 has an outer surface 318, which issmooth, and defines a track (not visible in FIG. 15 or 16, but similarto the track 120) that receives a portion of the actuator 312. Similarto the embodiment described above, the elongate body 314 is a cannulaand the track is a lumen that receives the tube 52 and the wire 54 ofthe actuator 312. The track need not encircle the tube 52 and the wire54, but could be U-shaped. In the embodiment in FIG. 15, the elongatebody 314 is circular in a cross section taken normal to the longestdimension of the elongate body 314, however, the elongate body 314 couldtake alternative configurations, such as polygonal or U—shaped.

The elongate body 314 includes the proximal end portion 320 and a distalend portion 322. The proximal end portion 320 connects with the actuatorbody 308, or, if desired, the proximal end portion 320 can connect withthe handle 90 in the same manner that the elongate body 14 connects withthe handle 90. In the embodiment where the proximal end portion 320connects with the handle 90, the button 50 can connect with the tube 52(or rod) similar to that shown in FIGS. 8 and 8A, and the actuator 312can operate in the same manner as the actuator 12 described above. Also,a pistol-grip style handle could attach to the elongate body instead inof the actuator body 308.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, the needle holder 316 is received in andconnected with the elongate body 314 and extends away from the distalend portion 322. Alternatively, the needle holder 316 can be provided aspart of the distal end portion 122 of the elongate body 314. Theelongate body 314 is made from a rigid metal material; however, ifdesired at least a portion of the elongate body 314 may be made from amalleable or flexible material to allow the surgeon to bend at least aportion of the elongate body 314 into a desirable configuration forinsertion into an animal body during a surgical procedure. In theillustrated embodiment, an outer diameter of the elongate body 314 isconstant between the proximal end portion 320 and the distal end portion322. The outer diameter can be less than 3.5 mm, which provides a veryslim device to enhance the line of sight for a surgeon during thesurgical procedure.

The elongate body 314 has a bayonet configuration. The elongate body 314includes an intermediate portion 328 positioned between the proximal endportion 320 and the distal end portion 322. The proximal end portion 320extends along a proximal end portion longitudinal axis 330. The distalend portion 322 extends along a distal end portion longitudinal axis332, which is offset from the proximal end portion longitudinal axis 330in a forward direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the distal endportion longitudinal axis 332 is offset from the proximal end portionlongitudinal axis 330 about 25 mm. The proximal end portion 320transitions to the intermediate portion 328 through a proximal bend 336and the intermediate portion 328 transitions to the distal end portion322 through a distal bend 338. In the illustrated embodiment, theproximal bend 336 and the distal bend 338 are both angled internally 135degrees.

A distance L3, which is measured parallel with the distal end portionlongitudinal axis 332, between where the distal bend 338 transitions tothe distal end portion 322 (i.e., the proximal end of the distal endportion 322 on the distal end portion longitudinal axis 332) and thedistal-most tip 142 is between 10 cm and 20 cm. Also, a distance L3 a,which is measured parallel with the distal end portion longitudinal axis332, between where the distal bend 338 transitions to the distal endportion 322 to the location 138 where the needle holder 316 begins tocurve away from the distal end portion longitudinal axis 332 is between10 cm and 20 cm. Stated another way, the distance L3 a measured parallelwith the distal end portion longitudinal axis 332 between where thecurved needle holder 16 begins to curve away from the distal end portionlongitudinal axis 332 to where the elongate body 314 begins to curveaway from the distal end portion longitudinal axis 332 (e.g., near theproximal end of the distal end portion 322 on the distal end portionlongitudinal axis 332) is between about 10 cm to about 20 cm. In theillustrated embodiment, the distance L3 is about 12.5 cm and thedistance L3 a is about 12 cm. The distances L3 and L3 a allow thesurgeon to insert the distal end portion 322 of the elongate body 314and the needle holder 316 into a commonly used tubular retractor so thatthe needle holder 316 can contact the target tissue without theintermediate portion 328 and the proximal end portion 320 entering thetubular retractor. If the distances L3 and L3 a are too long,manipulation of the needle holder 316 becomes more challenging. Theproximal end portion 320 is offset from the distal end portion 322 in arearward direction, which is opposite to the direction that thedistal-most tip 142 is offset from the distal end portion 322. Thisoffsets the handle 90 (not shown in FIG. 15, but could be connected withthe elongate body 314 anywhere along the proximal end portion 320) fromthe distal end portion longitudinal axis 332, which results in thesurgeon's hand and the handle 90 not impeding line of sight through thetubular retractor.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show a variation from the needle holder 16 describedabove, in which the needle holder 316 has a smaller arc length than theneedle holder 16. Other than having a smaller arc length, the needleholder 316 can be identical to the needle holder 16. As such, where theneedle holder 316 is identical or very similar to the needle holder 16,the same reference numbers will be used. With reference to the variationof the needle holder 316 shown in FIG. 16, the distal-most tip 142 isoffset from the distal end portion longitudinal axis 332 in a directionperpendicular from the distal end portion longitudinal axis 332 adistance L4 of less than 5 mm. The needle holder 316 extends along aradius about 110 degrees from the location 138 where the needle holder316 begins to curve away from the distal end portion longitudinal axis332 to the distal-most tip 142. Since the needle holder 316 has asmaller arc length than the needle holder 16, the first end 30 of theneedle 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) may extend outwardly beyond the distalopening 146 when the needle 20 is in the retracted position (shown inFIG. 3). The first end 30, however, does not extend beyond thedistal-most tip 142 when in the retracted position (similar to what isshown in FIG. 3). Accordingly, the suturing device 10 having the needleholder 316 can still be used similar to a nerve hook while not catchingthe target tissue 24 with the first (pointed) end 30 of the needle 20.

FIG. 4 shows one example of a suturing kit 200 that can be providedincluding a double-armed suture 22, at least one suturing device 10, 10a and a suture holding structure 210. The second suturing device 10 a isidentical in all aspects to the first suturing device, and thereforewill not be described in detail. The suture holding structure 210 can besimilar to a known racetrack, which is typically used to hold a suture.A knot pusher 350 can also be provided in the suturing kit 200. Also,additional needle holders, for example, the needle holder 16 b shown inFIG. 4, can also be provided in the kit 200. These additional needleholders, e.g., the needle holder 16 ba and other needle holders (notshown) can be loaded with additional curved needles (similar to thecurved needle 20) and additional sutures (similar to the suture 22).Also, surgical patches 352 could be provided, which can be connected toa suture 22 extending from a needle holder, such as the needle holder 16b, could also be provided in the kit 200. FIG. 17 depicts anotherexample of a suturing kit 400 that can be provided including thedouble-armed suture 22, at least one suturing device 410 and the sutureholding structure 210. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the firstsuturing device 10 and the second suturing device 10 a are separateinstruments from one another. In contrast, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 17, the suturing device 410 can have a double-barrel design.Moreover, multiple suturing devices can be provided in each kit alongwith multiple suture holding structures.

With reference to FIG. 17, the suturing device 410 includes a firstactuator 412, a second actuator 412 a, a first elongate body 414, asecond elongate body 414 a, a first needle holder 416 and a secondneedle holder 416 a. The suturing device 410 shown in FIG. 17 is alsouseful during a surgical procedure to accurately locate a first needle20 (not visible in FIG. 17, but located inside the first needle holder416 in a similar manner to that shown in FIG. 2), the second needle 20 aand the suture 22 with respect to target tissue, similar to the targettissue 24 shown in FIG. 2, which is to be sutured. The needles 20, 20 ashown in FIG. 17 have been described above. Each needle holder 416, 416a can be identical to the needle holder 16 described above. However, inthe embodiment depicted in FIG. 17, the first needle holder 416 ispositioned adjacent to and connected with the second needle holder 416a. Also, each needle holder 416, 416 a includes a respective notch 418,418 a, which can facilitate release of the needles 20, 20 a from theneedle holders 416, 416 a and loading of the needle into the needleholders. The first needle holder 416 can be welded, glued ormechanically fastened to the second needle holder 416 a. Each elongatebody 414, 414 a can be identical to the elongate body 14 describedabove. However, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 17, the firstelongate body 414 is positioned adjacent to and connected with thesecond elongate body 414 a. The first elongate body 414 can also bewelded, glued or mechanically fastened to the second elongate body 414a.

The suturing device 410 also includes a handle 440 connected with theelongate bodies 414, 414 a. Similar to the handle 90 described above,the handle 440 connects with a proximal end portion of each elongatebody 414, 414 a and is fixed to each elongate body 414, 414 a such thatmovement of the handle 440, e.g., rotational or translational movement,results in the same movement of each elongate body 414, 414 a. Thehandle 440 includes an elongate bore 442 in which the proximal endsection of each elongate body 414, 414 a is received. The handle 440takes an alternative configuration as compared to the handle 90described above and is generally T-shaped. The elongate bore 442 extendsfrom a proximal end surface 444 to a distal end surface 446 and isaligned with a longitudinal axis 448 that is parallel with a longestdimension of each elongate body 414, 414 a.

Each actuator 412, 412 a operates similarly to the actuator 12 describedabove. The first actuator 412 includes a button 450, a tube 452, whichcould also be a rod, and a wire, which is not visible in FIG. 17 but issimilar to the wire 54 described above. Similarly, the second actuator412 a includes a button 450 a, a tube 452 a, which could also be a rod,and a wire, which is not visible in FIG. 17 but is similar to the wire54 described above.

The first actuator 412 is identical to the second actuator 412 a.Accordingly, the first actuator 412 will be described in detail withrespect to the first elongate body 414 and the first needle holder 416with the understanding that the second actuator 412 a cooperates withthe second elongate body 414 a and the second needle holder 416 a in thesame manner. The first tube 452 (or rod) and the first wire (notvisible) of the first actuator 412 is received within the first elongatebody 414 and moves with respect to the first elongate body 414 betweenthe first operating position and the second operating position, similarto the actuator 12 described above. The first tube 452 moves in adirection parallel with the longitudinal axis 448. The wire (notvisible) contacts the second end 32 (see FIG. 2) of the first needle 20to advance the needle 20 from the retracted position toward the releasedcondition. The buttons 450, 450 a differ from the button 50 describedabove, however, the actuators 412, 412 a can operate in the same manneras the actuator 12 described above. Therefore, the operation of theactuators 412, 412 a will not be described in further detail.

Both FIGS. 4 and 13 disclose suturing kits including a double-armedsuture, at least one suturing device and a suture holding structure. Inboth embodiments, the at least one suturing device includes a portionconfigured to be inserted into a patient.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the first needle holder 16 and thefirst elongate body 14 are part of a first suturing device 10, which isa physically separate device from the second suturing device 10 a. Thesecond suturing device 10 a is, however, loaded with the second needle20 a and the suture 22 in a similar manner to that shown in FIG. 2 sothat a double-armed suture is connected with both suturing devices 10,10 a. Instead of providing the second suturing device 10 a shown in FIG.4, the suturing kit could include the actuator 12, the elongate body 14and at least two needle holders 16 where the needle holders aredisconnected from the elongate body 14, similar to what is shown in FIG.11. Alternatively, one of the needle holders 16 could be connected withthe elongate body 14 and additional needle holders 16, which can beloaded with a respective needle 20 and suture 22, can also be providedwith the kit. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 17, the first needleholder 416, the first elongate body 414, the second needle holder 416 a,the second elongate body 414 a are all part of the same suturing device410.

In each of the aforementioned embodiments, the suture holding structure210 holds at least a portion of the suture 22 between the first end andthe second end of the suture 22. In both embodiments, the suture holdingstructure 210 is separate from the at least one suturing device, e.g.the suturing devices 10, 10 a or the suturing device 410, so as not tobe inserted into the patient during the surgical procedure. In otherwords, the suture holding structure 210, and thus much of the suture,remains outside of the patient during the surgical procedure. Both thekit 200 shown in FIG. 4, the kit having another needle holderdisconnected from the elongate body 14, and the kit 400 shown in FIG. 17can be provided with a sealed package 460 (only schematically depictedin FIG. 17), which contains the suture 22, the at least one suturingdevice, e.g. the first suturing device 10 and the second suturing device10 a in FIG. 4 or the suturing device 410 in FIG. 17, and the sutureholding structure 210.

A method of operating a suturing device to repair a tissue tear will bedescribed with reference to the suturing devices 10, 10 a and 410described above; however, the method may be practiced using differentlyconfigured suturing devices and/or the variations shown in FIGS. 12-16,and these variations may be referred to below where relevant. Thephysician can insert the suturing device 10 into a tubular retractor,such as the tubular retractor TR depicted in FIG. 9, or into anothersmall surgical portal. With reference to FIG. 2, the physician canposition the distal-most tip 142 of the suturing device 10 under theinternal side 26 of the target tissue 24 on a first (left per theorientation of FIG. 2) side of a tear through the target tissue 24. Thetarget tissue 24 depicted in FIG. 2 is a dural sac, which is a sheath ofdura mater that surrounds the spinal cord, which is not shown in FIG. 2for purposes of clarity. With the distal-most tip 142 under the internalside 26 of the target tissue 24, the physician then actuates theactuator 12 on the suturing device 10 to advance the first end 30 of theneedle 20 through the target tissue 24 from the internal side 26 towardthe outer side 28 until the second end 32 of the needle 20 and thesuture 22 are released from the suturing device 10. The physician canthen remove the suturing device 10 from inside the patient (and insidethe dural sac) and grasp the needle 20 and pull the suture 22 throughthe hole that was formed in the target tissue 24 with the needle 20. Thephysician can then take another suturing device, for example, the secondsuturing device 10 a shown in FIG. 4, which has the second needle 20 aloaded in it and the opposite end of the suture 22 attached to thesecond needle 20 a and insert the second suturing device 10 a into thetubular retractor TR (FIG. 9) or other small surgical portal. Thephysician can position the distal-most tip of the second suturing device10 a, which is the same as the distal-most tip 142 depicted in FIG. 2,under the internal side 26 of the target tissue 24 on a second (rightper the orientation of FIG. 2) side of the tear through the targettissue 24. With the distal-most tip of the second suturing device 10 aunder the internal side 26 of the target tissue 24, the physician thenactuates the actuator 12 a (FIG. 4) on the second suturing device 10 ato advance the first (pointed) end of the second needle 20 a through thetarget tissue 24 from the internal side 26 toward the outer side 28until the second end of the second needle 20 a and the suture 22 arereleased from the second suturing device 10 a. The physician can thenremove the second suturing device 10 a from inside the patient (andinside the dural sac) and grasp the second needle 20 a and pull thesuture 22 through the hole that was formed in the target tissue 24 withthe second needle 20 a. The physician can then tie a knot in the suture22 in a conventional manner to close the tear, and this process can berepeated until the tear has been adequately closed.

Instead of using two different suturing device 10 and 10 a, thephysician may use only the first suturing device 10. In this example,the second needle 20 a would still be connected to an opposite end ofthe suture 22 as the first needle 20; however, the second needle 20 awould not be pre-loaded into a suturing device. Instead, the secondneedle 20 a would be free from a suturing device, and the second needle20 a would be loaded into the first suturing device 10 after the firstneedle had been deployed from the first suturing device 10. So, thephysician would deploy the first needle 20 from the suturing device 10in the same manner as described above and remove the suturing device 10from the patient. The physician would then pull the actuator 12 back tothe first operating position from the second operating position. Thesecond needle 20 a having the suture 22 attached thereto would then beinserted through the distal opening 146 and into the needle passage 144until the second needle 20 a is in the retracted position, which isshown for the first needle 20 in FIG. 3. In an alternative arrangement,the actuator 12 can remain in the second operating position while theneedle 20 is being loaded into the needle holder 16. For example, theactuator 12 could facilitate drawing the needle 20 into the retractedposition. As one example, the pocket 76 (see FIG. 7) could grasp thesecond end 32 of the needle 20, and movement of the actuator 12 from thesecond operating position toward the first operating position could drawthe needle 20 toward the retracted position. With reference back to theillustrated embodiment and like that shown in FIG. 3, a portion of thesuture 22 would be maintained extending out of the distal opening 146and outside of the suturing device 10. The physician would then operatethe suturing device 10 with the second needle 20 a loaded therein in asimilar manner how the physician operated the second suturing device 10a above.

The physician could also use the suturing device 410 in a similarmanner. The physician can position the distal-most tip, which is notparticularly called out in FIG. 17 but could have a similarconfiguration to the distal-most tip 142 in FIG. 11, on the first needleholder 416 of the suturing device 410 under the internal side of thetarget tissue on a first (e.g., left) side of a tear through the targettissue. With the distal-most tip on the first needle holder 416 of thesuturing device 410 under the internal side of the target tissue, thephysician then actuates the first actuator 412 on the suturing device410 to advance the first end of the first needle (not visible in FIG. 17because it is loaded within the first needle holder 416) through thetarget tissue from the internal side toward the outer side until thesecond end of the first needle and the suture 22 are released from thesuturing device 410. The physician can then rotate the suturing device410 about the longitudinal axis 448 and position the distal-most tip onthe second needle holder 416 a of the suturing device 410 under theinternal side of the target tissue on a second (e.g., right) side of thetear. With the distal-most tip on the second needle holder 416 a of thesuturing device 410 under the internal side of the target tissue, thephysician then actuates the second actuator 412 a on the suturing device410 to advance the first end of the second needle 20 a through thetarget tissue from the internal side toward the outer side until thesecond end of the second needle 20 a and the suture 22 are released fromthe suturing device 410. The physician can then remove the suturingdevice 410 from inside the patient (and inside the dural sac) and graspthe needles 20, 20 a and pull the suture 22 through the holes that wereformed in the target tissue with the needles 20, 20 a. The physician canthen tie a knot in the suture 22 in a conventional manner to close thetear, and this process can be repeated until the tear has beenadequately closed.

Because of the configuration of the suturing devices 10, 310, 410, thephysician is able to repair tears in the dural sac and avoid the manynerves that are located within the dural sac. The suturing devices 10,310, 410 have a desirable J-hook configuration that allows the physicianto grasp the target tissue 24 just underneath the internal side 26, andthe shape of the distal-most tip 142 allows the physician to indent thetarget tissue 24 prior to actuation to provide a visual indication ofwhere the needle 20 or 20 a will pass through the target tissue. Becauseof the J-hook configuration of the suturing devices 10, 310, 410, whenthe physician is positioning the distal-most tip 142 under the internalside 26 of the target tissue 24, the elongate body 14, 314 or 414, 414 acan be maintained in an orientation closer to vertical as compared tohorizontal. For example with reference to FIGS. 9 and 15, at least thedistal end portion 322 of the elongate body 314 can be maintained in anorientation closer to parallel with a central axis CA of the tubularretractor TR as compared to perpendicular with the central axis CA whilepositioning the distal-most tip 142. This is particularly useful becauseduring spinal surgery the patient is typically lying on his stomach andthe physician is working from above the patient. Because of the J-hookconfiguration of the suturing devices 10 and 410, when the physician isadvancing the needle 20 or 20 a through the target tissue 24, the needle20 or 20 a is advanced toward the physician, which allows the physicianto see the needle. When using either of the suturing devices 10 and 410,at least a portion of the suture 22 remains outside of the patient.Since only a small portion of the suture 22 is received inside thesuturing devices 10 or 410, the suturing devices 10 or 410 can be mademuch smaller as compared to other known suturing device, which makes thesuturing devices 10, 410 very useful for repairing tears in a dural sac.

Even though the method of operating the suturing devices was describedas passing the needle 20 from inside the dural sac to the outside, thesuturing devices 10, 310 and 410 can be used to pass the needle 20through tissue in other manners, e.g., from outside to inside. Also, thesuturing devices 10, 310 and 410 can also be used to suture tissue otherthan the dural sac.

A method of assembling a suturing device will be described withreference to the suturing device 10 described above; however, the methodmay be practiced using differently configured suturing devices and/orthe variations shown in FIGS. 12-17. The method includes inserting theneedle 20 having the suture 22 attached thereto through the distalopening 146 into the needle passage 144 of the needle holder 16connected with or configured to be connected with the elongate body 14of the suturing device 10. When assembling the suturing device, theneedle 20 is inserted into the needle passage 144 in an insertiondirection, which is opposite to the advance direction 36 (see FIG. 3).The method also includes frictionally engaging the inner surface 162 ofthe needle holder 16 with the needle 20 to retain the first (pointed)end 30 of the needle 20 offset inwardly from the distal opening 146 oroffset below the distal-most tip 142 of the suturing device 10.Inserting the needle 20 can further include inserting the second end 32of the needle 20 and folding the suture 22 such that a portion of thesuture 22 extends along the needle passage 144 between the needle 20 andthe inner surface 162 (see FIG. 3). The method can further includeplacing the needle holder 16 with the needle 20 inserted therein and thesuture 22 extending out of the distal opening 146 in a package (a sealedpackage 460 is schematically depicted in FIG. 17), and sealing thepackage. The method can further include removing the needle holder 16from a sealed package prior to inserting the needle 20 into the needlepassage 144. Accordingly, the needle 20 can be inserted into the needlepassage 144 in the operating room or surgical facility instead of at themanufacturing facility, if desired. Frictionally engaging the innersurface 162 of the needle holder 16 can further include contacting theinner surface 162 of the needle holder 16 in at least three differentlocations along the needle 20 when the needle 20 is in a retractedposition (see FIGS. 3 and 16). When in the retracted position, theneedle 20 can contact the inner surface 162 of the needle holder 16 atthe first location 164, the second location 166 and the third location168 shown in FIG. 16.

The method of assembling the suturing device 10 can also includeinserting the needle 20 having the suture 22 attached thereto throughthe distal opening 146 into the needle passage 144 of a suturing device10. The method also includes maintaining a portion of the suture 22extending out of the distal opening 146 and outside of the suturingdevice 10. As mentioned above, inserting the needle 20 can furtherinclude inserting the second end 32 of the needle 20 and folding thesuture 22 such that a portion of the suture 22 extends along the needlepassage 144 between the needle 20 and the inner surface 162 (see FIG.3). FIG. 12 shows the variant including the keyway 220. The method canfurther include inserting the suture 22 into the keyway 220 whileinserting the needle 20 through the distal opening 146 into the needlepassage 144 of the suturing device 10. Inserting the needle 20 havingthe suture 22 attached thereto can further include pushing the needle 20into the needle passage 144 until the needle 20 frictionally engages theinner surface 162 of the suturing device 10 defining the needle passage144. Inserting the needle 20 having the suture 22 attached thereto canalso include inserting the second end 32 of the needle 20 and foldingthe suture 22 such that a portion of the suture 22 extends along theneedle passage 144 between the needle 20 and the inner surface 162 (seeFIG. 3) of the suturing device 10 defining the needle passage 144.

It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed embodimentsand variations and other features and functions, or alternatives orvarieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other differentdevices or applications. Also, components from one embodiment can beused in other embodiments described above. Also, various presentlyunforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations orimprovements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in theart which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.

1. A method of assembling a suturing device, comprising: inserting aneedle having a suture attached thereto through a distal opening into aneedle passage of a suturing device toward a retracted position in whichthe needle is retained in the suturing device, the suturing deviceincluding a needle holder having a distal-most tip adjacent the distalopening through which the needle passes when moving toward a releasedcondition in which the needle is released from the suturing device and afirst end of the needle is recessed inwardly from the distal-most tipwithin the needle passage when in the retracted position; andmaintaining a portion of the suture extending out of the distal openingand outside of the suturing device.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe needle is a curved needle, the needle passage is a curved needlepassage and the needle holder is a curved needle holder, the methodfurther comprising: frictionally engaging an inner surface of the curvedneedle holder with the curved needle to retain a pointed end of thecurved needle offset inwardly from the distal opening or offset below adistal-most tip of the suturing device.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the curved needle includes a first end, which is the pointedend, and a second end, which is opposite the first end, whereininserting the curved needle further includes inserting the second end ofthe curved needle and folding the suture such that a portion of thesuture extends along the curved needle passage between the curved needleand the inner surface.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein frictionallyengaging the inner surface of the curved needle holder further includescontacting the inner surface of the curved needle holder in at leastthree different locations along the needle when the curved needle is ina retracted position.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the curvedneedle contacts the inner surface of the curved needle holder at a firstlocation, a second location and a third location along the curvedneedle, wherein the first location is located beneath and adjacent tothe distal-most tip, wherein the second location is located near amiddle of an arc length of the curved needle, and wherein the thirdlocation is located adjacent a location where the curved needle holderbegins to curve away from a longitudinal axis of the suturing device. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein the curved needle includes a first end,which is the pointed end, and a second end, which is opposite the firstend, wherein inserting the curved needle further includes inserting thesecond end of the curved needle and folding the suture such that aportion of the suture extends along the curved needle passage betweenthe curved needle and the inner surface.